Court Reporter/Voice Writer

Court Reporter

The Superior Court of California County of Contra Costa announces an open recruitment for: Court Reporter $112,051.47- $129,713.17 annually* Base salary only; additional pay differentials may apply, see benefits section below. Final Filing – Continuous The Superior Court of Contra Costa County is conducting an open recruitment to fill Court Reporter vacancies. Individuals selected must be available to be assigned to any court location. An eligibility list will be established as a result of this recruitment and may be used to fill other vacancies in the future. Only incumbents who meet the minimum qualifications by the final filing date may apply.

The individual appointed to this position will perform a wide variety of duties including, but not limited to:

• Attend court sessions as assigned and make verbatim stenographic records of the proceedings, often of a technical nature and at a high rate of speed;
• Provide immediate read back of all or portions of the record upon request;
• Prepare printed or magnetic media transcripts of court proceedings;
• Utilize computer-aided or manual transcription to prepare transcripts in accordance with prescribed formats and deadlines;
• Review, certify and file printed transcripts of court proceedings and provide daily transcripts as needed;
• Be real time capable and provide real time services upon request;
• Provide, at own expense, all necessary equipment and materials to produce the verbatim record, pursuant to California Rules of Court, Rule 10.810;
• Maintain a variety of paper and electronic files; and
• Perform other related duties as required.

The individuals appointed to these positions must be able to maintain a positive and professional attitude and possess good interpersonal and oral communication skills. Timely communication and punctual attendance is essential.

The ideal candidate should have the following knowledge and abilities:

• Knowledge of legal terminology; basic medical and other specialized and technical terminology required for court proceedings and protocol;
• Principles, practices, methods and techniques of short hand reporting;
• Proper English usage, grammar, punctuation and spelling;
• Transcript production procedures and practices; and
• State and local court rules, procedures and protocols.

• Ability to record shorthand at a minimum of 200 words per minute with 97.5% accuracy;
• Provide real-time services upon request;
• Plan and organize work to meet deadlines;
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with judges, court staff, attorneys, and the general public;
• Respond timely and appropriately to inquiries and requests;
• Maintain responsibility for providing court reporting and transcription equipment;
• Work independently as well as working closely with others; and
• Comply with applicable court procedures including Court Procedure 38 – Paperless Steno Writers and Storage of Court Reporter Notes on ACORN.

Pay differentials: In addition to the base salary listed above, Court Reporters are eligible for the following pay differentials:

• National Realtime Certification: Court Reporters who are nationally certified as a Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) will provide real time services upon request and be paid a differential of 10% to apply all the time. Similarly, Court Reporters who are nationally certified as a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) will provide real time services upon request and be paid a differential of 7.5% to apply all the time. Court Reporters in the bargaining unit who are nationally certified through NCRA as a Certified Realtime Captioner (CRC) will provide CART services upon request and will be paid an additional differential of 3% to apply all the time.
• State Realtime Certification: Court Reporters who are certified by the Deposition Reporter Association as a California Certified Realtime Reporter (CCRR) will provide real time services upon request and be paid a differential of 5% to apply all the time.
• Basic Readability: Court Reporters who take and pass the Court's Realtime Basic Readability Test will provide real time services upon request and be paid a differential of 5% to apply all the time unless and until the Court Reporter becomes eligible for the National Certification differential. The Basic Readability Test will be offered to court reporters twice a year in March and October.
• Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART): Court Reporters who volunteer to provide CART services for ADA accommodations will be paid $100.00 for a full day and $50.00 for a half day that he or she provides CART services. For purposes of this section, half day shall be defined as any portion of a morning session (between 8am and 12:30pm) or afternoon session (between 1 pm and 5pm) on any given date.

With the exception of the CART differential, the pay differentials are not cumulative, which means that the highest differential available is 10% of base salary.

Minimum qualifications: Possession of a high school diploma, a GED equivalency certificate or a high school proficiency certificate; Possession of a current Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) certificate issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs Court Reporter Board; Operating system/equipment compatible with ACORN Notes Storage System.

Highly desirable qualifications: Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) certified; NCRA Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR); Registered Professional Reporter (RPR); Registered Merit Reporter (RMR); and Real-time capable and able to provide real time services upon request.